I love Tapes. There, I said it.

When working in the milieu, he's not bogged down by reggae's mighty heritage (spoiler alert: this record is not reggae). Instead, Tapes keeps it playful, experimental, and sometimes a little funny. His music has an experts touch but sounds lightfooted and limber. Not finessed endlessly or overwrought. When working with digi or dub, it's like food: if you've got good ingredients, you don't need that many elements, and Tapes knows how to serve them up right!

So to Funk Plates Volume 1. As Jahtari Records has pushed its musical envelope beyond "digital laptop reggae," Tapes now makes his own sharp turn toward Funkytown. However, this is still deeply rooted in the labels and his own lo-fi 8-bit aesthetic. 'Funk Plates Volume 1' is "constructed with data rips from Super-Nintendo ROMs, a Sequential Circuits Drum Tracks, and a heavy dose of Kawai K1". You might expect to hear this sort of record on PPU, but 'Funk Plates' has a brighter sheen, looking toward Japan rather than 80s funk's grittier US roots. But make no mistake; this is still proper head-nodders gear.

In short, we get eight tracks of whip-cracking sharp drums, groovy rubberised bass lines, and smooth gliding synths. Stuff that's gonna bang in the club, crib,or car. Go on Tapes!

'Funk Plates Volume 1' will be released by Jahtari on the 23rd of June.